Founder and President, Houston Texans NFL Team
It was only natural for Robert McNair, the owner of the Houston Texans, to form a partnership with the YMCA of Greater Houston. The Y, McNair reveals, played such an integral role in his upbringing, he can’t imagine his childhood without it. That influence contributed to McNair’s bold move to partner with the historical establishment, building the first NFL-sponsored Y, which will be called the Houston Texans YMCA.
As a 7-, 8-, 9- and 10-year-old, I would ride my bicycle to downtown Charlotte, [N.C.], to the YMCA to all of the activities. And that was my life. The Y was the center. School, the Y, and my church – those were the three institutions that were most important in my life. And I remember those events [up to] this very day,” said McNair at the groundbreaking ceremony in the Third Ward. “As I think about this new Y, I look forward to the . children . coming down to this Y. [Like me, later, they] will have the ability to look back on it and say, ‘That was such a wonderful experience for me …’ And that’s what this is about.”
McNair and his team looked for more than a year to formulate a partnership with the community that would vigorously reciprocate the support the community has shown the team.
“The Houston Texans appreciate the support from the community and that’s why we reach out. We want to be the most community connected team in the NFL,” he said. “There are a lot of wonderful organizations in Houston, but we felt that the organization that was the perfect fit for the Texans was the Y. We believe that life is all about being physically fit and spiritually fit. And the Y does all those things, and does it in a wonderful way.” –terry shropshire
